Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Friday on Kitchen Chat: Kristen Jane Anderson

I'm so excited to share my guest with you this week - she's an AMAZING woman who has radically reoriented her life to be a source of encouragement to those who have lost all hope. Kristen has shared her story on Oprah, the 700 Club, and all across the country. Her Reaching You Ministries is a vital outreach to those considering suicide. Don't miss this show!

About Kristin: Kristen Jane Anderson has been featured on Oprah and is a popular speaker at colleges, women's and youth events, churches, and suicide prevention outreaches. A graduate of Moody Bible Institute and the founder of Reaching You Ministries, Kristen seeks to help those who are hurting, hopeless, lost, suicidal and depressed.

About Life, In Spite of Me:Co-written with Tricia Goyer After her fatal choice… extraordinary hope.

Kristen Anderson thought she had the picture perfect life until strokes of gray dimmed her outlook on life. Once a happy child, Kristen’s world darkened after three friends and her grandmother died within two years. Still reeling from these losses, she was raped by a friend she thought she could trust. She soon spiraled into a depression that didn't seem to have a bottom.

One January night, the seventeen-year-old made a decision: She no longer wanted to deal with the emotional pain that smothered her. She lay down on a set of cold railroad tracks and waited—for a freight train to send her to heaven…and peace.

Amazingly, Kristen survived her suicide attempt… but the 33 freight cars that ran over her severed her legs. Now she not only had to deal with depression; she also had to face the physical pain and life without legs.

But Kristen's story didn't end there. After her darkest days Kristen discovered a real purpose for living. Now, in her compelling book Life, In Spite of Me, Kristen shares her journey from despair to hope.

Includes letters from Kristen that share messages she wishes someone would have told her—when she was depressed and struggling with loss, shame from sexual abuse, and suicidal thoughts.

To win a copy of Kristin's book leave a comment {HERE} along with your email address. One name will be drawn at random to receive Life, In Spite of Me. The winner will be announced here and be notified via email.

About Reaching You Ministries: Depression and Suicide are an epidemic in our culture today.

These are the Sad Facts:

19 million American struggle with depression and two out of three people with depression never seek help.

More than 800,000 people attempt suicide every year in America and more than 32,000 of them die. That's 89 lives lost every day!

8 out of 10 teenagers think about suicide, 1 of those 8 tries. Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death for those aged 24-34.

Our Mission:

Our mission is to reach the hurting, the hopeless, the lost, the suicidal and the depressed with the life transforming hope and leadership offered to us in Christ.

Our History:

In 2003 Kristen Jane Anderson was asked to share the story of her transformation with the high school youth group in her church. More speaking requests soon followed. In response to the many reaching out to Kristen who were struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts, Kristen started Reaching You Ministries in December of 2004. Quickly, Reaching You grew beyond Kristen's wildest dreams. God opened doors for us to reach and help thousands with the love, hope, healing, and leadership of Christ through Kristen's story. With the publication of her book “Life, In Spite Of Me” in May of 2010, Kristen is praying that Reaching You's impact will be bigger than ever before, that lives would be saved, and that God's goodness would be made known to many. Find out more at www.reachingyouministries.com

Kitchen Chat

About Me

People always say that you will end up doing what you loved to do in third grade. Miss Cook, my third grade teacher at Brookwood Forest Elementary School pulled me aside when I was nine years old and told me, “One day you will write books.” I loved to write. But the lure of international business enticed me to become an international banker in New York. Long story short - I'm a writer, now. From Finance to Fiction with a little food and a whole lotta faith thrown in - here's what I've learned on the journey!